A Shriveling Flower

𝑋𝐿𝐼𝐼

"It's okay to admit that
your wounds are still open
that you are still healing
It takes time. it takes time"
Alison Malee -

In the midst of the storm, a boy roamed through the empty streets as rain soaked through his clothes.

The harsh wind whipped around, tugging at everything in the path, making the trees sway and the leaves dance. It carried a biting chill, causing the boy goosebumps, and him being wet didn't help.

The boy looked up at the sky as a weird thought crossed his brain. Is this how nature flexes its muscles? Is it it's way of reminding us of how powerful and unpredictable it is?

A crack of thunder rumbled through the sky, shaking the ground underneath Jason, its loud booming shook his core and created a sense of excitement in him.

Taking the circumstances the sound of the roaring thunder surge through Jasons vein's making him feel powerful especially after what happened earlier.

The harsh wind slapped Jason's sore cheek making him wince in pain.

Well here's what happened.

It's been a week since Lily's funeral and a lot has happened since then. When Jason woke up in the hospital he felt ashamed of himself, how could he be so weak?

His family insisted that he goes to a therapist, bit he wouldn't budge, Though he did promise that he won't do that again and he has kept his promise so far.

But the whole week Jason was distracting himself with anything, he didn't want to think, he didn't want to remember, he didn't want to feel....

He went out everyday and got drunk and high, he spent his time with the wrong crowd and only came back home to sleep and that didn't sit well with his parents.

He still has a young sister and brothers at home that shouldn't be seeing him like that. Jason loved his siblings dearly and especially Sophia, he treated her like a princess.

He even gave her Lily's teddy bear last night when she had trouble sleeping from the loud thunder. Sophia met Lily once, but honestly she didn't remember her at all.

Jason didn't want them to get close for some reason. Or maybe deep down he knew Lily won't be here for too long and he wanted to spare Sophia the pain.

Sophia is a very sweet and kind girl. She gets attached too easily, especially that she barely has any friends, so Jason didn't want her to get to know Lily and then get hurt when she's gone. He was trying to protect her heart and yet failed to protect his own.

He was going to let them meet again and officially introduce Lily as his wife to her during the gender reveal party, but fate had other plans.

Now you must be wondering how did Jason end up on the streets under the rain with battered?

A few hours earlier Jason, as usual, left with his so-called "friends" to party in one of the town's clubs. They smoked, got high, got drunk, and so on.

Jason didn't allow any girl to get close to him at all, his wedding ring was still on his hand after all.

"Come on , Jason, let me get you a chicka. You need to get laid my man" one of the guys said.